Three Kisses
by Lady Nightwisp
Summary: In which Jason and Roy have a conversation, Kori is helpful in her own odd way, and Jason doesn't want to admit that he might care about his teammates. JayRoy and JayRoyKori


Disclaimer: Not mine

Author's note: I'm playing fast and loose with RHatO canon. I figured no one would mind, since I mostly just ignored the stuff no one thought should have happened anyways. You'll see what I mean.

* * *

Jason Todd leaned on the railing of the hotel balcony, contemplating the few stars visible in the smoggy atmosphere. A bitter smile made its way to his lips. Only the brightest stars could be seen above the Gotham skyline. It seemed like some sort of twisted metaphor for his life.

He heard the quiet sound of the door behind him being opened and closed, and then Roy's footsteps approached. The archer joined him in staring at the sky. A quick sidelong glance told Jason that Roy had something on his mind.

"What is it?" he asked. "I know you didn't come out here just to enjoy the scenery."

Roy hesitated for several moments.

"What are we?" he asked finally.

Jason frowned, before pasting a sarcastic smile on his face.

"Well, people have been calling us The Outlaws," he remarked. "I think it kinda fits, don't you?"

Roy turned to look at him.

"You know that's not what I meant."

Jason scowled.

"Pretend it is."

He turned to go inside, but Roy caught his wrist.

"No. I'm not letting you walk away from this."

They both knew that Jason could have easily broken free of Roy's grasp, but he let himself be pulled back towards the railing.

"Roy, I don't think-"

"Jason. I know you have issues. Hell, everyone on this damn team has issues. But I need to know. I need to know what I am to you."

"Does it matter?"

Roy yanked him closer, forcing Jason to meet his eyes.

"Of course it matters! I need to know. Do you really care about me, or am I just some convenient fuck buddy?"

Jason leaned in a little closer and smashed their lips together in a brutal kiss that left Roy moaning into his mouth. Then he pulled back, taking advantage of Roy's slackened grip to begin heading back inside.

"Does that answer your question?" he asked over his shoulder.

He had his hand on the doorknob when Roy caught up to him and shoved his back up against wall, pinning him effectively.

"No. It doesn't."

"What does it matter, as long as the sex is good?"

"This isn't about the sex!" Roy snarled.

Jason met his gaze evenly, and Roy finally looked away, the anger sliding off of him.

"I can't do this, Jay. I tried. _God_, I tried. But if we keep this up, I'm going to fall in love with you. And I need to know that I'm not making a mistake."

"You are," Jason announced harshly. "I can't… I can't give you what you want."

Roy sighed.

"I know. But I needed to hear you say it."

"I'm sorry," Jason said. "I really am."

Roy closed his eyes.

"You and your goddamn issues," he muttered,

"Remember what we said when we started this," Jason warned.

"'We're not going to let this get in the way of the team if it goes wrong'," Roy repeated. "I know. It won't. Just…give me tonight?"

Jason nodded. Roy punched him in the face, and Jason didn't bother to dodge.

"Fuck you, Todd."

With that, Roy was gone. The loud bang of the door slamming echoed in Jason's head, followed by a second slam from inside, indicating that Roy had left the hotel room, probably heading to the nearest bar. Jason knew that, when worse came to worst, Roy still went for the alcohol.

Jason sighed and went inside.

Kori looked up from where she was seated on the couch, perusing a magazine she had picked up at the hotel's gift shop.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It was nothing," he insisted.

She frowned.

"Roy runs straight through here, then you come in with a newly developing black eye. That's not 'nothing'."

"I don't want to talk about it," Jason snapped.

Kori stood up, lording her impressive height over him.

"Are humans always this stupid?" she asked.

Jason opened his mouth to make some sort of offended remark on behalf of his species, but she cut him off.

"Listen to me very carefully. Roy cares about you. He's in love with you."

"I know!" Jason snapped. "He told me that."

"Oh, so that's what this is about?" Kori observed.

"Yes," Jason growled.

"You love him, he loves you. Why must you make things so complicated?"

"I don't love him," Jason insisted. "And it wasn't complicated until he had to go and drag emotions into things."

Kori threw up her hands.

"What is it with humans and emotions!? Do you really think you can just have sex with someone with no strings attached?!"

"You seem to do it fine," Jason retorted sharply. "You've probably fucked Roy just as many times as I have!"

"I slept with him _once_," Kori hissed. "And I wouldn't have done it if I didn't love him. It wasn't until later that I realized it didn't mean to him what it did to me."

"Then go after him!" Jason ordered. "I _can't_ love him. He deserves you! I give you my fucking blessing!"

"It doesn't matter what you think he deserves!" Kori retorted. "You're the one he wants!"

They were screaming now, and Jason had a hand on his gun. Not as any sort of threat, but as an instinctual response to his fury.

Kori stepped closer. Her green eyes were positively burning.

"Do you know where he is right now?"

"Of course. He's at the nearest bar, trying to drown himself in as much alcohol as he can manage to inhale before one of us comes to drag him away."

"And _whose _fault is that?"

"It's mine. I know. But I didn't have a goddamn choice, okay?!"

"You're a terrible liar."

Jason sighed, the anger slowly subsiding.

"Just leave me alone, okay? I don't want to talk about it."

Kori smiled softly and stepped in closer. Jason stared evenly at her, refusing to back away. She reached out and took his hands in hers. Her fingers were warm.

"What is it you're afraid of?" she asked.

"I'm not-"

She cut him off with a gentle kiss. Her lips felt like sunshine. Jason disentangled his hands and pushed her away.

"What was that?!"

She didn't answer. She simply watched him with a knowing smile, silently ordering him to do her bidding. And with the taste of sunshine on his lips, Jason couldn't refuse.

"Fuck you," he muttered under his breath.

"Good luck!" she called after him as he ran out the door.

* * *

Roy was still in the lobby getting directions to the nearest bar as Jason raced down the stairs.

"Harper!" Jason shouted, taking two, three, four steps at a time.

The redhead started.

"Jason? What the fuck?"

Jason didn't answer. He simply vaulted over the railing and landed in front of his teammate.

"Um, sir, I-"

"Shut up," Jason ordered the helpful man behind the front desk. "I need to talk to him."

The man nodded eagerly and hurried off under the pretense of answering the (silent) phone. It was amazing where a terrifying attitude could get you.

"Leave me alone!" Roy shouted. "Can't I just get plastered without having to see your damn face?!"

"Sorry, pal," Jason replied. "I can't let you do that. Princess ordered me to get down here and drag your ass back upstairs."

"Fuck her!"

"You already did that once," Jason quipped.

Roy was left momentarily speechless.

"Do you always do what she tells you to?" he asked in a desperate bid to change the subject.

Jason let him get away with it.

"Only when she's right," he replied.

"So that's a yes?"

"Don't get smart with me, Harper."

Roy frowned.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You call me 'Harper' whenever anyone else is around, but I'm always 'Roy' when it's just us, or just us and Kori."

"You're imagining things," Jason insisted.

"No. I'm not."

"You know why."

"Of course I do. It's because you can't bear to admit that you might actually care for anyone besides yourself. I'm not stupid, Jay. I know exactly what you were saying with that kiss. I was just hoping that maybe, for once, I could get you to admit it out loud."

Jason sighed.

"Fine. I admit that I may actually care the tiniest bit about your wellbeing. Is that enough for you?"

Roy beamed.

"Not even close."

Jason rolled his eyes.

"But it'll do for now," Roy continued.

He pulled Jason in for a kiss, his tongue gently tracing Jason's lips. Jason waited a few moments, savoring the sensation, before tilting his head and deepening the kiss. His hands crept up to tangle themselves in Roy's hair and he could feel Roy's fingers digging into his back through his thick leather jacket. His tongue mapped out the familiar geography of Roy's mouth. Roy still tasted faintly like the pizza they'd eaten for dinner. Normally, Jason preferred cheese, but the taste of pepperoni in Roy's mouth was somehow addicting.

They broke apart, finally, both gasping for air. Roy kept a tight hold on the jacket and rested his head on Jason's shoulder.

"Why do you taste like Kori's lipgloss?" he wondered, his voice still breathy.

"She kissed me," Jason replied.

"That sounds really hot," Roy remarked.

"Promise you're not going to go out drinking tonight and maybe we'll do it again for you."

"Deal."

Jason slowly dropped his hands from Roy's hair to wrap him in a loose embrace. Roy smiled against his neck.

Maybe, just maybe, Jason could admit that he was a little bit in love with Roy Harper.


End file.
